Cooking legend and cultural icon Julia Child introduced French cuisine to American kitchens in 1963 with the pioneering public television series The French Chef. Unlike anything ever seen on television before, it was entertaining and real in a way that influenced every culinary television program that followed.

In honor of what would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday on August 15, this special collection of three black-and-white episodes of The French Chef from the 1960s features Julia preparing some of her favorite French classics -- French Onion Soup, Quiche Lorraine and French Tarts, Apple Style. The shows will air on tpt 2, starting at 8 p.m.

On her shows, Julia presented the nuances of every recipe while also teaching her audience the basics of French cooking, from the proper way to choose and prepare cuts of meat, chop and sauté onions, achieve the perfect simmer and how to flambé safely. Never afraid to make mistakes on camera, she used them to her advantage to show her viewers how to adapt with confidence.

As part of the celebration, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of The Splendid Table on MPR, will be in tpt’s studio.

Lynne made several appearances on Julia’s program Cooking With Master Chefs, and Julia was a guest on Lynne’s radio program. She’ll have wonderful stories about Julia to share with our audience, and we’ll be offering Lynne’s newest cookbook as a thank you gift.

Lynne Rossetto Kasper has won numerous awards as host of The Splendid Table. She’s a respected authority on food, having published three bestselling books: The Splendid Table, The Italian Country Table, and The Splendid Table's How To Eat Supper.

Check out a preview of The French Chef Classics, airing Wednesday at 8 p.m. on tpt 2, and be sure to tune in to celebrate Julia Child’s 100th birthday along with Lynne Rossetto Kasper in the tpt studio.